This gluten-free vegan strawberry shortcake cake is definitely about to become your summer favourite. A classic strawberry shortcake in layer cake form!
With two light and fluffy vanilla sponge cakes, a whipped cream ‘frosting’ along with fresh and juicy strawberries, this cake is a summer must-make! The recipe makes a two-layer, 8 inch cake that serves 8-10 people, perfect for summer parties, Wimbledon and special occasions.
This recipe has been made in collaboration Koro. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Gluten-free vegan strawberry shortcake cake
Continuing with my new and exciting collection of gluten-free bakes, I bring to you a summer show stopper. This cake screams summer from the light and moist cake to the fresh berries, it’s the perfect cake to serve in the sunshine with a cup of afternoon tea (or if you’re like me, an iced coffee).
This delightful cake is simply scrumptious. I love the classic ‘strawberries and cream flavour’, along with the vanilla cake – yum! Seriously, every single bite of this cake is divine!
Looking for more summer recipes? Check these out:
Gluten-free Vegan Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes
Easy No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Cheesecakes
Why you’ll love this gluten-free cake:
- The gluten-free sponges – Trust me when I say, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO TELL THIS CAKE IS GLUTEN-FREE. The cakes taste delicious, with a light vanilla flavour. They are light and fluffy, and compliment the berries and cream perfectly. You’ll use gluten-free plain flour, along with some raising agents to create this amazing cake.
- It’s VEGAN – I mean, you’re on The Little Blog of Vegan, so obviously you’re here for vegan cake, not that you’d be able to tell though. It simply tastes like a delicious, classic vanilla cake!
- The strawberries – The more the merrier I say! I actually picked these strawberries fresh from my mum & dad’s allotment, my parents sure know how to grow delicious fruits- haha!
- The whipped cream- I used a dairy-free whipping cream along with some dairy-free cream cheese to help it hold it’s shape and give it some stability. The tangy flavour of the cream cheese also compliments the sweet berries, win-win situation! You’ll want to find a really thick vegan double cream for this recipe, or the cake won’t look as pretty!
- The decoration – You can’t beat an easy recipe, and I love the simple design of this cake. Simply use the cream and fresh fruit to jazz up the cake. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even use some edible flowers to help add more colour and summer-nes to the cake!
How to you make a gluten-free vanilla cake?
Making gluten-free vanilla sponge cakes couldn’t be easier. You don’t even need a stand or a hand mixer, simply use a good old fashioned bowl and spatula. you’ll be very impressed by this cake!
Here’s how to make THE BEST gluten-free vanilla sponge cakes:
- Sift all of the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Pour all of the wet ingredients into a separate bowl, along with the vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet into the dry and mix with a spatula until combined, smooth with no lumps of flour.
- Divide the batter in to your lined 8 inch cake tins and tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the cakes into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean and they’re springy to the touch.
- Place on a cooling rack to cool fully, them place in a sealed container to keep fresh before decorating.
It’s as easy as that! The cakes will impress anyone you make them for. They’re perfectly fluffy, light and scrumptious!
What gluten-free flour to use?
For this recipe, I use gluten-free plain flour. For my American friends, that is a gluten-free ‘all purpose’ flour. The reason I use a gluten-free plain flour as apposed to a gluten-free self raising flour is that you can control the raising agents which goes into the cake. I add in my own baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. If you use a gluten-free self raising flour then add in your own raising agents, it will leave you with a really bitter flavoured cake! Trust me when I say, use plain flour! It works a treat. This cake is slightly denser than my other vegan cakes, but it ‘melts in your mouth’. It really is a mouth-watering gluten-free bake!
How to make stabilised vegan whipped cream?
I am constantly asked over on my Instagram about dairy-free cream’s. I use a lot of cream in desserts such as cheesecakes. My favourite vegan whipping cream is the Elmlea Plant Based Cream Alternative. This stuff is pure magic! It whips up to stiff peaks and is easily pipeable.
To help stabilise it for this recipe so that it can be added into the middle of the cakes and hold it’s shape, I added in some dairy-free cream cheese.
To make the stabilised dairy-free cream, whisk the dairy-free cream in a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment. You’ll want to use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this.
Once the cream is whipped and can hold a peak, add in the cold cream cheese. Whip this on high speed for approximately 2-4 minutes. You’ll see the mixture get thicker. Whisk until combined and peaks form. Keep this cream chilled / cold at all times. Before using, place the bowl into the fridge until ready to use. If you leave it too long, the cream might soften.
How to prepare the strawberries?
Yes, you’ll have to prepare the strawberries, but thankfully it’s a super easy trick to getting the perfect textured strawberry shortcake cake. Simply slice the strawberries and place them on some kitchen paper. This will help soak up any excess moisture.
Assembling a gluten-free vegan strawberry shortcake cake:
The design and assembly of this cake is very easy and straightforward. You’ll have a breeze putting this cake together!
- Make sure that your sponges are completely cooled. Level them with a sharp secreted knife, but if you’re happy for them to have some caramelisation on them, leave them as they are.
- Lay one of the sponge cakes on a cake stand or serving plate, so that the flat part (the bottom of the cake) is laying flat.
- Add some of the whipped cream onto the top of the cake, and use an off-set spatula to spread it into an even later.
- Arrange some of the fresh strawberries on top of the cream in an even layer. Make sure the strawberries are dry. Lay them on some kitchen paper to soak up any excess moisture before adding to the cake.
- Pipe on some of the delicious Koro Strawberry Fruit Spread( This is optional but helps add an extra layer of strawberry flavour to the cake).
- Gently, place the other sponge cake on top.
- Spread the other half of the cream on top of the sponge.
- Arrange the remaining strawberries on top of the cream.
- Keep this cake chilled at all times. Best eaten immediately!
The cake won’t hold up unless you have a thick and very study cream! Make sure your cream is thick enough before using. If you’re struggling, simply use a whipped American style buttercream or a Swiss / Italian meringue buttercream. They’ll be a lot easier to make and they will be much sturdier than cream.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking!
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Gluten-free Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Gluten-free Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cake, with fresh, juicy berries and a whipped cream filling. A summer show-stopper!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
- 360g of gluten-free plain flour
- 1 + 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum
- 225g of caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
- 75ml of sunflower oil
- 450ml of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod (seeds only)
Ingredients for the cream
- 220ml of dairy-free whipping cream
- 90g of dairy-free cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod (seeds only)
+
- Fresh strawberries
- Koro Strawberry Fruit Spread
Instructions
Method (cakes)
- Pre-heat oven to 180 ºC fan and line two round 8 inch cake tins with grease proof paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift in the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix to combine.
- Mix the oil, dairy-free milk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until smooth, and there are not lumps of flour in the batter.
- Equally divide the cake batter between the lined tins.
- Place into the middle of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted down the middle of the cakes comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
- Remove the cakes out of the tins and place on a cooling rack. Take them out of the tins as soon as possible to prevent excess moisture, which can make the cakes very soggy.
Method (cream)
- Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl, and whip on high speed until soft peaks form. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment. You can also do this with a electric hand whisk.
- Add in the cream cheese and vanilla, then whip on high speed until a firm cream forms. This will take about 2-4 minutes.
Assemble
- Place one of the cakes on a cake stand or serving plate.
- Apply a thin layer of the cream then add on a layer of thinly sliced strawberries. Make sure the strawberries are dry, by drying them on some kitchen paper before adding to the cake.
- Add some strawberry jam, then spread on another layer of cream.
- Place the other sponge cake on top, and spread the rest of the cream over the entire cake.
- Place the cake into the fridge to chill. as this is a fresh cream ‘frosting’, you might even want to place the cake in the freezer to firm up before adding on the extra decorations.
- Transfer any left over cream to a piping bag fitted with a wilton 2d tip (or any open star tip nozzle), and pipe a swirl boarder around the top edge of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with whole and sliced strawberries and a sprinkling of icing sugar.
Notes
To store: Store this cake in the fridge, best enjoyed day of making.
As this cake contains fresh cream, decorate as close to serving as possible, as the weight from the cakes can make the cream ooze out from the middle of the cakes.
What cream to use? My ultimate recommendation for a vegan double / whipping cream is Elmlea plant based cream alternative! If you can find a similar one, which holds its shape when whipped up, that would be a great alternative!
What dairy-free cream cheese to use? There are plenty of amazing cream cheeses, my favourite is the Violife Original Cream Cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanease
Hi Holly,
Would Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour work for this recipe? TIA
Amazing! Made this for my mom’s birthday and she LOVED it! She loves strawberry shortcake but can’t have gluten anymore. This didn’t taste gluten free or vegan at all. I had a little trouble with the whipped cream (because of poor time management) but putting it in the freezer made it work and didnt ruin the texture at all. Definitely will make this again 🙂
Appreciating the persistence you put into your blog and the detailed information you provide. Keep up the good work.
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